The International Symposium on Nonequilibrium Processes, Plasma, Combustion and Atmospheric Phenomena is a for international experts in such fundamental areas as physical and chemical kinetics, physics of low temperature and cluster plasmas, physics of shock and detonation waves, physics and chemistry of aerosols and nanoparticles, combustion and atmospheric chemistry, physics and chemistry of high speed flows, plasma and laser chemistry, plasma, laser and combustion assisted technologies.

The book contains 46 selected, revised and thoroughly edited papers addressing various issues of propulsion physics written by world-known experts. The papers include critical analyses of previous studies and controversial aspects of novel propulsion concepts, new theoretical and experimental results and findings as well as numerous references to archival publications worldwide.

This book offers a systematic survey of the latest developments by a fine selection of international experts and can be used as a reference by research scientists or practicing engineers in the field of aerospace propulsion.

Development of propulsion engines operating on continuous and pulse detonations is a subject of growing interest worldwide. The concept of a detonation engine is attractive for simplicity, easy scaling, reduced fuel consumption, and intrinsic capability of operation from zero approach stream velocity to high supersonic flight speeds. In the detonation-based power plants, detonation is initiated in a tube that serves as the combustor. The propagating detonation wave rapidly burns the fuel in the chamber resulting in a nearly constant-volume heat addition process that produces a high pressure in the combustor and provides the thrust. The operational cycle of such power plants provides a higher thermodynamic efficiency as compared to the Brayton cycle used in gas turbines and ramjets.

The book contains more than 50 revised and edited condensed papers on confined gaseous and spray deflagrations and detonations and their applications to pulse-detonation propulsion written by international experts in detonation physics, chemistry, and propulsion from 9 countries. The contributions are presented in three sections: